Always a Hero
by Citron
Summary: Set in a futurific Tokyo, taking place after a horrendous war,this story fallows three war heroes who are forced to remain quiet about events that happened over seas.But when information gets leak out,it turns out more then just the government after them
1. Homebound Heros

The air was thick with smoke, and for once, the convoy that they rode in wasn't heading right for the source. That thought alone was normally enough to make at least one of the eleven people on board smile. Not this time though. The thing on everyone's mind… was home. Home. The word seemed so foreign, so distant—like a dream that had long since begun to fade. The only proof that any of the group had that it even existed were the torn and bloody ruminates of letters that the team had once clung to. Now they seemed useless, and unimportant. They were going home. For good. No more fighting. Now more blood. It wasn't a happy feeling to know this, just a numbing one. All of the solders were tense because of the unknown. Was it a trick? A ploy to get them to work harder? Would they suddenly say, "Gottcha?" and then leave them again in the jungles?

As these thoughts ran through Kagome's mind, She couldn't help but clutch the large gun beside her tighter. No, They couldn't do that to them, no her men. Looking up through thick greasy black locks of her hair, Kagome studied the group around her. Had it really been six years? Six years of fighting? That's what they had been told, but truthfully it was hard to believe. At the moment it seemed that it was impossible that they could have been gone for that long, but Kagome knew that on other days, it had felt twice as long. Time was a funny thing. It affected you so much, yet when you don't know how long you have, you start loosing track of it. In the jungles, you couldn't think about how much time left, only about what you were doing, so she could only guess that they had all just began to stop counting.

"So who do you think the first one to kill themselves will be?" Hiten spoke, and all eyes turned to look at him. Hiten was tall, and quiet handsome, with thick black hair trailing down past his rear, normally he had it tightly in a bun (less chance of someone grabbing onto it), but today it was just braded loosely. Like the rest of the group, he was dressed in the usual green cameo army wear. For this particular war, the Japanese government had spared no expanse in designing a new uniform. The pants were made of some thick material, and bell shaped, like that of a traditional hakama, only not a big and the bottoms tucked into boots. The top of the uniform was suppose to be a thick jacket to "prevent" as much injury as possible, but when it came to demon warfare, it was useless. Instead, they had taken the advise of some of the refugees and used demon bone armor fitted to the chest, then covered by a green button up shirt (for pockets, The armor was useless for storing things). When Hiten had come to the group, he had been with his brother Monten. Jokingly referred to as the "Thunder Brothers" because of their joint demonic power, and booming laughter. Mantan had been one of the first to die. Hiten never really got over it, but then again, who would?

As soon as the man had spoken, all eyes were upon him, sizing him up. Any lesser demon would have turned away and apologized for the comment, but Hiten remained easy, staring back at his comrades patiently. After another pause, the entire convoy howled with laughter. The tension that had plagued them momentarily forgotten by the abserd question.

"My bet is on Rin, she's always been too happy…" Hakkaku said as he nudged the girl next to him. Hakkaku was average height for a Japanese male, his dark brown eyes and pointed features resembling that of a wolf. His oddly blonde hair fell around his shoulders, when they had first been assigned; he had worn it in a spiky Mohawk. That was one of the things he said he was going to do when he got back—cut all the damn hair off. Everyone chuckled at his remark.

Rin scoffed at the comment, crossing her arms and shaking her head. Why her? Everyone always picked on her. it's because I'm short' She thought with a small smile. Rin was indeed the shortest of the group, and the youngest. Standing at just barely five foot, she was as tall as she would ever get—much to her displeasure. "Nu-uh! If anything I'm going to go on a killing rampage and take out half of Tokyo, Just me, Sango, a submachine gun…"

"And a big taxi cab while listening to salsa music!" Everyone finished the sentence in unison. They all laughed while Sango and Rin gave each other a high five from across the hummer. It had been a running joke. A game amongst the group had been to ask each other random questions, the question that had spawned this answer being, "How would you go on your killing spree?" Most anything was done to keep the group smiling, because when you stopped being able to relax, was when you were silently pegged as about to die. Horrible though it may be, sixteen of them were dead.

"Honestly, you all really needs lives" Kouga said, arms crossed and lips pushed together as he tried to keep from laughing. Kouga was actually an extremely important member of the little group—important meaning that he was the son of one of the demon lords, so getting him killed would probably mean another war. That had been amusing, when the group had been told he and his four pack members—of which Ginta and Hakkaku were the only two remaining—would be joining the fight, many were skeptical. Kouga proved to be an amazing fighter, which had earned him, Ginta, and Hakkaku a spot among the ranks. Kouga was tall, rivaling the height of even Hiten, Kouga had blue eyes—the color of water on a stormy day. He wore his shoulder length coal-black hair up in a high ponytail. Pointed features—both nose and chin, showed he was indeed the "Prince of Wolfs", as he was jokingly called.

"Oh, Really? Well then, Kouga, Why don't you tell us where you bought yours…" Kouga opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by the rest of Kagome's comment, "So we can see if we can return you" The group laughed as Kagome just smiled and shook her head. Kagome was at least a head shorter then the Wolf Prince next to her. Her own long black hair was pulled back into a respectable bun. Sighing, she watched as the others began to talk again. It was good too see their spirits up again. Looking up, she caught Sango's gaze. Smiling softly she shook her head. Sango raised an eyebrow, but let it go. If Kagome didn't want to share, she would just have to beat it out of her later. A smirk crossed Sango's face, and it was Kagome's turn to raise her eyebrow. Their silent conversation continued.

Rin had to hold a laugh back as she watched Sango and Kagome. Her attention turned back to the men and there conversation about some new video game. A soft smile crossed her face as she watched them—how animated they all became when talking to their fellow teammates. Rin couldn't believe that it had been so long since she had seen home. Rin firmly believed that you would get yourself killed if you spent to much time looking at the past or future, you had to keep your eyes firmly planted on the present. Other wise something might slip by you.

"I just can't wait to take a shower when I get home" Bankotsu said as everyone laughed and nodded their heads. Another silence fell over the group, that word. Home. The realization hit the group once again that they were going home. A few minutes passed, before someone spoke.

"Soooooooooo…Whatcha you solders gonna do when you get home?" Jakotsu said in a sing song voice, like every other time that someone asked one of the stupid questions that had kept them smiling as they marched.

"Coffee" Kagome answered first, breaking the silence. "Real Coffee, none of that instant crap we've been living off for the past century" The group smiled. Everyone knew about Kagome's obsession with coffee.

"I'm going to fix my alarm clock, It's still probably blinking twelve" Bankotsu answered. He was probably the least technological person you could ever meet, so that got a laugh from everyone.

"I'm going to take my little sister to a movie, that is if she doesn't mind hanging out with me now that she's in high school" Hiten said as he twisted his gun into the floor a little.

"Totally going to rent the rest of Bay Watch… I still can't believe it ended" Ginta said as the rest all laughed.

"Same here" Hakkaku said as he and Ginta clapped hands.

Rolling her eyes, Sango shook her head before speaking, "Coffee sounds good, but I want to see my family" Sango crossed her arms, smiling her usual passive smile. She had been looking forward to seeing her brother since they had gotten the news that the war had ended.

"I'm going to make Kagome my women" Kouga said, and as usual, got everyone to burst into fits of laughter at another one of the on going jokes. Kagome rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile on her face. She loved Kouga, but not like that, and she was beginning to think that his affection for her was the same sort she had for him.

"I'm going shopping!" Jakotsu said with a bright smile and a starry look in his eye. Bankotsu groaned and shook his head.

"Not with me, your not. You better be planning that with the girls, because there's no way in hell I'm going on another one of your endless trips to the mall" He spoke, crossing his arms and shaking his head. Jakotsu stuck his tongue out at the other man, and winked to the rest of the group when he had turned away. More laughter.

"Man, I beat all of juu! I'm going up to the Iron Chief dude and challenging him to a cook off. Cause no once can cook ribs better then moi!" Rin said in a fake French accent, as she portended to snap invisible suspenders. Everyone just laughed at her; Bankotsu slapped her on the back and told her to, "getterdone" which caused even more laughter to erupt.

The rest of the trip was pleasant, even despite the unpaved road and the fact that the convoy had no shock resistors. The conversations were funny, making everyone cheerful. Even getting off the SUV and onto the plain wasn't that bad. Holding onto the ropes, the three girls looked out the huge bay door and onto the island they had inhabited for so long. As they looked at each other, smiles crossed their faces. When they arrived they would be given metals of honor, alone with ranks and money, but that wasn't important. The important thing was…

They were headed home.


	2. Start of Something New Chapter I

Kagome inhaled deeply as she stood at attention outside of the memorial, her team standing tall next to her. A whistle blew, and the nine of them saluted the large black stone. It was strange being back in Tokyo, it had been nearly half a month since they were in the depths of the war zone. It felt surreal in a way, this world the people seemed to live in, as if the war had little effect upon them, and had only been some ploy to raise taxes. The postwar shrink that all soldiers were ordered to see said it was all right to feel enraged, depressed, and a number of other big words they used to describe shell-shock. Kagome had been willing to let that slide, if only the woman had stopped there. Dr. Honda, as was the woman's name, continued to say it was even okay to feel some "ill" feelings towards "other" races. Kagome had officially been pissed off after that.

"By other races, I assume you mean demons?" The woman had opened her mouth to answer, but Kagome hadn't nearly finished, "As in the demons who I've fought along side for the last six years? As in those, who, right now, you should be thanking for supplying you with that nice paycheck you've been continuing to receive through out war times? As in those "other" races who, with out, our entire economy and political structure would have collapsed, and not to mention, those who, with out their aid, we wouldn't have stood a snowballs chance in hell in the war? No, clearly, you must be referring to something else."

That had been the last conversation they had.

Sango had had similar difficulties with her government-supplied therapist. What had, well, as far as Kagome knew, it involved a rather nasty remark and Sango threatening not only to sue his ass, but bring out a very large knife and cut of the head that the man clearly thought with.

"And trust me, it was not the one on his shoulders" Had been Sango's explanation.

Kagome smiled slightly at the memory. Rin shot her a strange look, before shaking her head and taking a step forward-- much to the surprise of the officials in charge of this "welcome home" ceremony. Placing her hands together in the classic fist in palm position, Rin bowed deeply towards the monument. Fallowing suit, the eight other soldiers bowed in the same way as Rin began to recite the prayer.

"We thank our fallen comrades, and wish you well in the next life….."

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"ONE TWO THREE TURN MY ANACONDA FREE! BECAUSE YOU LOOK SO FINE THAT I REALLY WANT TO MAKE YOU MINE!" Rin shouted as she began dancing in the back seat, looking very small and cute in her all white soldiers uniform.

"Rin, you do realize those aren't the lyrics, right?" Sango asked, a small smile on her face as she drove. Turning her head to check her blind spot, she changed lanes smoothly. She was surprised how easy it was to drive something so small, but in all honesty, the rental car was driving her insane. She needed something…bigger. Something that she knew could handle the ruff n' tuff stuff with out fear of being crushed. Sango was defiantly looking forward to the paycheck, especially when she found out they were selling H5s in Japan.

"And last time I checked, you don't have an anaconda" Kagome said from the seat adjacent Sango.

"Hey Hey!" Rin said, stopping her bouncing and putting her hands up in the classic I'm harmless' pose. "You two are totally throwing off my groove, gosh," She said in a fake drugged out tone. Sango chuckled and Kagome snorted in response. Rin went back to dancing after she had finished.

Kagome exchanged a look with Sango before pushing up her sunglasses and looking out the window. None of them had had time to change since the ceremony, so Kagome, like Sango and Rin, was still clad in the white uniforms adopted by the Japanese during the late days of the recent war. Kagome's right shoulder was decorated with the three black cords signaling her rank in the forces, her left scattered with the medals and pendants that all soldiers were awarded after this particular event.

"It sure has changed hasn't it?" Kagome blinked, realizing Rin's head was resting on her shoulder. "They didn't have all these skyways before" Rin mused quietly, her voice soft with insecurity.

"Yeah" Kagome said, mimicking Rin's volume. Her voice was steady though. She had seen the way Sango would frown at the road from time to time, and knew the same insecurities Rin was voicing laid in Sango as well. No, Kagome had to be the strong one. It was her turn. Through out the war you weren't aloud the luxury of fear, or doubt of any kind. It was something that could get you killed, or worse, your team.

Well, there wasn't any cross fire—no distant sound of fighting, or smell of smoke and burning flesh. The battle was over—done. They had won, coming home the honored heroes, celebrated and respected. There names would forever go done in history as those who survived and made the world a better place.

So why couldn't she let go? Why couldn't Kagome relax? Finally feel fear? Finally cry?

Kagome reached her hand up and ran her fingers through Rin's hair-- a comforting gesture. Turning she shot a small reassuring smile towards Sango. After a second, Sango finally let the tension slide out of her shoulders and smiled back. The silence was peaceful.

Sometimes, that's all people need. No heroic or life altering words required. Just an…understanding. Knowing that, whatever physiological shit you're putting yourself through that someone else is going through it too, and that, as much as it may hurt egos to admit, your company is helping them as much as theirs is helping you. But most of the time,

Something else will go wrong.

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AN: Sooo. I'm reposting this story because I'm starting it up again. It was on MM before, but I've decided not to like that site anymore. So I'm posting it here. I can tell you right off the bat that I wont be very fast at updating, but I will. I really like this story, I've missed it. Also, I wrote this close to two years ago now, and I am horrified at how choppy it is, but currently I am too lazy to edit it, So I'm just going to keep going.

Also. This story should have more of a Vietnam feel to it then any current war. I got rid of my first AN explaining all of it because I feel that it gave away too much of what I want you to know so I kind of just drop you into it.

The next chapter will be all new. I'm writing as I type this, so It will be up by the end of the day. I do hope you enjoy this story, I haven't writing anything InuYasha in a very long time, but then again, even at my peak, I've always been for stronger characters.

Anywho, Enjoy and Review. Both are much appreciated.


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